U.S. Senator Jack Reed Announces $150K Grant to Help RI Dairy Farmers

Got cheese? Rhody Fresh now does. 

Thanks to a $150,000 federal grant, Rhody Fresh Milk will offer a new Rhody Fresh cheese made from locally-produced milk. 

Last fall, Rhody Fresh Milk began offering an artisan cheese at local farmers markets. Thanks to this grant, the group of eight Rhode Island dairy farms will now increase production and supply its locally-made cheese in markets throughout the state. 

U.S. Senator Jack Reed announced the federal grant at a special visit to Escobar's Farm in Portsmouth on Monday. The federal funds are being awarded in an effort to help local dairy farms create jobs and increase production. 

"People want and need locally-produced foods. They also want to be assured they can buy locally-produced foods," Reed said. "Buying things locally has a huge positive impact for our environment, economy and our health." 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded 110 federal Value-Added Producers Grants to local farming and agriculture producers nationwide out of more than 430 applications. 

Rhody Fresh will use the funding to bolster its next phase of marketing and help promote new products, such as its locally-made cheeses.

In 2009, Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, secured $32,000 in federal funds to help Rhody Fresh begin planning for the expansion of operations in cheese production. 

“I am pleased Rhody Fresh won this competitive federal grant to help increase production and promote the sale of fresh, local dairy products that are made right here in Rhode Island. Buying from Rhode Island farmers has important environmental, economic, and health benefits. It also helps preserve open space and active farmland,” said Reed. 

“This federal grant will help ensure our local dairy farmers can compete and earn a living producing fresh, local products.” 

The Rhode Island Dairy Farms Cooperative was formed in 2004 by a group of five dairy farmers who believed the Rhode Island community needed locally-produced, fresh milk. 

Today, Rhody Fresh Milk has grown to include eight dairy farms throughout the state, including farms in Tiverton, East Greenwich and Portsmouth. 

“This grant will be used not only to create awareness of new Rhody Fresh products but to help sustain a vibrant agriculture industry in this state, especially the local farm to table initiatives," said Chief Operating Officer Steve Volpe of Rhody Fresh. 

Rhody Fresh Executive Director Jim Hines added, “There are many companies and families that will benefit from this. It’s good for Rhode Island.” 

Eighty dairy farms once operated in Rhode Island. Today, only 20 continue to be in operation.

A 2012 Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) study found Rhode Island’s agriculture industry has an economic impact of $268.2 million and supports 2,330 jobs statewide. 

Earlier this year, Reed supported legislation to extend the Farm Bill to avoid a so-called dairy cliff and prevent milk prices from spiking, which could have resulted in the price of milk doubling in 2013. 

The bill, which is set to expire on Sept. 30, also included $383 million in loans and grants for livestock producers and farmers. The Senate is soon expected to consider a new five-year farm bill.